Tithes & Offering

[Waggles]

OK, but there is a difference between social systems in various countries. Sweden is different form Australia or USA,for example.
While your poor will end in the street and hungry and some church has to help them, in my country, state will take care of them, pays their living and hospital bills and thats why we have so high taxes. (Technically, its not a tax, its social and health insurance that is mandatory).
Also, our churches (at least some of them) receive payments from state.
So... instead of 10% I give lets say 40% on such things. It does not go to "Caesar" but to people.

OK socialism does blurr the lines a lot.
And I understand that the Lutheran Church is often a government
department or state sponsored religion in Scandinavia.
But ...
One still needs to be charitable on a personal level. I do not give
a fixed 10% of my income just to the church, but I give and share
plenty with family, strangers and good causes.
Like I will give to CC to keep this site going.

 

[Waggles]

17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honour,
especially those who labour in word and doctrine.
18 For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle the ox treading
out grain," and, "The labourer is worthy of his reward."
1Timothy 5:

Our church has sufficient money to pay its pastors and
their housing and energy and other expenses.
They also get new cars every two or three years.

They also travel abroad and support our mission
work and new churches in Africa, Indonesia, Pacific
islands, and so on.
Then there are the costs of our halls and buildings.

 

[Test_F_i_2_Luv]

Jesus spirit lead me to give as I'm able. Tithing is a good starting point.

I whole-heartedly agree with giving as you feel led.

By N.T. standards, however, there is no set starting point. We can't, then, tell one another that the Holy Spirit will prompt us to give 10% as "a good starting point".

The tithing referred to in Scripture was a system to support the community. Three different tithes required of those in the livestock/agricultural occupation. Tithing "minimums" weren't 10%. Multiple types of tithes were required of those in those occupations, adding up to what was probably 23 1/3% a year in a typical season.

To suggest 10% as a good starting point is to say "The Bible taught 3 types of tithes for those in the agricultural/livestock occupations, but you can start by giving one of the three tithes required of those occupations".

If one didn't raise crops/livestock, the 3 types of tithes didn't apply, and thus tithing wasn't required. We aren't under the same system at all, so the whole tithing system(and the 3 types of tithes) do not apply to Christians.

 

[jb]

Tithes & Offering​

Bit of a study Here on this...

 

[Test_F_i_2_Luv]

i believing in giving tithe and offering though it isn't that we are paying for our salvation or the word of God. God has given as a free will, we know what ought to be done in accordance to the scriptures it is upon us to either obey or dis-obey. The reason i give is because i know the secret of receiving is giving..

Proverbs 3

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

plus, we do not only give money, or items.. we can also give our lives which is the most pleasing sacrifice to the Lord. if we completely have nothing to give in terms of wealth, we have a life which we ought to give towards the great commission of our Lord Jesus.

In the O.T., tithes, offerings, and first-fruits are 3 different categories.

First-fruits are literally those crops that are the first to mature.

Tithes came only from crops/livestock and those aren't available until the end of the season when they are matured and ready for harvest. There were 3 types of tithes...Levitical, Poor, and Festival tithes.

Offerings were a third category that could be given by anyone. Those who weren't required to tithe(those who didn't grow crops or raise livestock) could only give offerings. Those who grew crops/livestock could give offerings in addition to their required tithes.

You quoted Proverbs 3:9-10. Notice my signature line and the reference to tithing and to which animals were required in the tithe. It should become clear that first-fruits and tithes are not the same thing.

 

[Test_F_i_2_Luv]

Still, nobody answered my question, if I give mandatory 60% from my wage to common social and health good in my country, do I need to give another 10% from what remained me as some another "tithing"?

If yes, why?

Raise livestock and grow crops and then we'll see about getting the Levitical, Festival, and Poor tithes.

Otherwise, give cheerfully and not under compulsion...whatever the Holy Spirit tells you to give.

 

[Test_F_i_2_Luv]

ABRAM
Genesis 14: Abram gives 10% (vs 20) of the best of the war spoils he'd taken. To the Priest & King of Salem, Melchizedek.
Abram gives the best 10% """of the war spoils""" to Melchizedek. And the remaining 90% to Sodom & Gomorrah (vs 24).

Abram kept NOTHING for himself!

Abram doesn't give 10% of his personal items (EVER!): No cattle, no oil or wine & no corn or wheat.

His only tithe ever recorded was on the one time booty-war spoils. Taken from the Kings he conquered while retrieving his kidnapped nephew Lot.

Seems the more proper application of this is to Christians who are in the military and who engage in battle. If they are in the winning "army", they need to find their commanding officer and see to it that s/he gives a tenth to _____?

 

[Test_F_i_2_Luv]

has anyone else ever heard of a church that taught its people do not tithe? thats new to me.

Teaching tithing(incorrectly) became more of a practice in the mid 1800's.

Seems the older denominations are generally the ones that teach free-will and grace giving instead.

 

[StandingFirmInChrist]

The Bible clearly states that giving of tithes and offering is a duty (from d heart, of course) as God's children.
I have seen some churches that say tithing (not offering) is not really necesarry. I even heard, late last year that a video of one pastor completely preaching against tithe. I didn't bother to watch him, bcos its plain that we rob God if we withold both tithes and offering. People that watched it said he was really making his point, bcos they claimed he defened himself with the scriptures too.
I have not seen any scripture that's against it. So, what do u guys think?
God bless.

Actually, there is Scripture against the giving of monetary tithes. Would you like to see it?

Deuteronomy 12:8 Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever is right in his own eyes.

The children of Israel were told that once they crossed the river Jordan and entered Canaan, they were not to do what seemed right in their own eyes.

In the Book of Leviticus, God said His tithe was to be agricultural...not money. And in Deuteronomy 12, God said man could not do what seemed right in his own eyes. God said His tithe was to come from agricultural increase. This means that money could not be tithed.

Nothing in the Scriptures amends God's commands to say that money could be tithed. Therefore, if tithing is to be done, it must be done in the manner God decreed...agricultural...not monetary.